Column: Administration and athletics

TRENTON — Sure, there isn’t much hanging from the rafters of Jones Senior’s New Gymnasium, but it’s filled with something much more valuable.

The basketball team only won seven games this season, even with K.D. McCall averaging a double-double; the football team posted nothingin the win column, but the Trojans of Jones Senior still have an infectious school pride that spreads through the walkways of campus — reaching the faculty, staff and tight-knit group of students and athletes.

And that starts at the top.

Last week, I made a rare return to Trenton, to the Jones Senior, to the New Gym. JSHS principal Chris Meadows was named the North Carolina Association of Educators Principal of the Year, celebrated by a large group of students, staff and friends.

From covering JoCo for the Post for a little while, I was already aware of the Jones Senior’s ongoing academic success (three-year school of distinction, students headed to Governor’s School, etc).

But the athletic programs, while some records may not show it, are just as successful if you look closely enough.

Jones Senior has been ejection free eight years and won the 2013 NCHSAA Sportsmanship Award.

“That is a testament to our coaches and just our kids,” said Meadows, a 1996 Jones Senior graduate. “One of the biggest things that we have is expectations for our kids. The beautiful thing is we have so many good people that are coaches and they share those expectations.”

Senior basketball player Marcus Staten could tell you, in fact, he did tell me, Meadows pushes the student-athletes to be well-mannered at all times.

“I couldn’t wish for a better principal,” Staten said. “He tells us on the court, winning or losing, always hold your head high and always be nice on the court.”

He added Jones Senior sports are “great” because of the support between the athletes, coaches and fans.

“Everybody’s just a family out here,” Staten said, “and fans come out to support us every day.”

I attended a pretty large high school in Los Angeles that sometimes lacked school pride at athletic events, at least I don’t remember a Hamilton equivalent to the Hawks Krazies showing up to any football or basketball games. It was a performing arts school, so perhaps that’s why?

So I can appreciate schools like Jones Senior and other area campuses and the commitment they have to athletic pride. The respect and love the students have for administration just washes over someone entering the JSHS environment, and it’s so impressive for an itty-bity school in itty-bity Trenton, N.C.

And I’m not exactly saying high school kids would be happy-go-lucky after the losses. From what I’ve heard, the Trojans didn’t always play nice.

“We’ve had quite the reputation in the past for some unsportsmanlike things that occurred,” said Jones Senior athletic director Debra Philyaw. “With the help of a lot of coaches and the support of our administrative staff, we’ve been able to turn that around.

“We make kids believe that they are some of the best athletes in North Carolina.”

With a small population of students comes a small population of student-athletes. Many schools around here have guys and girls playing multiple sports, so Jones Senior’s Michael Wilder Sr. told me it’s harder to work with the kids.

It hasn’t been all bad for Jones Senior athletics though — the Trojans won a state basketball championship in 1993.

“We were a small team, but we were quick,” said Wilder, who was an assistant coach on that team. “Coach Hobbs, coach Brown and myself worked with them and let them know that anything is possible if you work for it.”

Wilder assured me that the Jones Senior sports are rising.

“We’re up and coming,” he said. “We don’t have the athletes we used to, … but we’re coming back.”

Personally, I’d love to witness that.

Jessika Morgan is the Sports Editor of The Free Press. She can be reached at 252-559-1078 and Jessika.Morgan@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessikaMorgan.